Changes to Princess Plus, room service fees, Alfredo's and others. Fee changes. Etc

[kathy49]

5 minutes ago, caribill said:

On the Island Princess (which does not have an Alfredos) recently they had a couple of times at lunch "Alfredos at Sabatini's" where they served free Alfredo menu pizzas. It was well attended.

 

I  wonder now if they will either:

a) start charging for this Pizza at lunch event    or

b) just discontinue having it.

Clearly I don't think that will continue.

[memoak]

16 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

I honestly did not realize that the tips were not per voyage and distributed however they do.  I find  this then just paying the wages that Princess as a company should be paying. My guess is doing it this way gives them some tax and corporate advantages. I am therefore not that offended if people are opting out of that and tipping as they wish on the voyage.

Having worked as a server in my younger years and have many friends who still work then restaurants I can tell you most ate making minimum wage do you insist the restaurant in your home town to pay more so you don’t have to tip ?

[whitecap]

8 minutes ago, PacnGoNow said:

If you are buying one pizza, then no.  You can order a la carte, $12 a pizza.

 (I believe the new price)
Or, the 3 course for $14.99 for one meal. 
 

 

Is the same going to hold true for the specialty burger at the Lido grill?  I order a fancy burger and pay the $18 bucks, sit at a table with my DW, cut the burger in half and give half to her.  Is someone going to come by and demand to charge my wife the $18 bucks as well? or half the $18 bucks?  Maybe I'll just sit down with it, turn my head, have her walk by and take the half and keep walking.  😎

[kiwimum]

36 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

We share a pizza at Alfredos, so does that mean we are each charged a visit?

My guess, yes.   Two seats occupied, 2 charges.   

[kathy49]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

Having worked as a server in my younger years and have many friends who still work then restaurants I can tell you most ate making minimum wage do you insist the restaurant in your home town to pay more so you don’t have to tip ?

I tip cash and make sure the server gets it..if they share as a group great..up to them. Also where I live there are many added fees now including health fee for the servers. It is getting so crazy. Just pay them a livable wage and raise the cost of our meals.

[cruising.mark.uk]

1 minute ago, kiwimum said:

My guess, yes.   Two seats occupied, 2 charges.   

I'd like to think they will charge for the food, not the seats.  So, logic dictates it should be one meal consumed = prix fixe charge.

[Steelers36]

53 minutes ago, seachelt said:

Exactly! Also, living in Canada we are not eligible for medallion shipping. We’ll be on the Island in less than a month with the plus package. I don’t see any incentive to upgrade to a new plus!

seachelt

Coming soon.  Two weeks ago, they more or less implied around August 1, but I suspect it is a bit later.  Now includes Oz and UK, and IDK if they are doing all simultaneously, or opening with Canada first.  No specific date has been made public that I am aware of.

[kathy49]

4 minutes ago, whitecap said:

Is the same going to hold true for the specialty burger at the Lido grill?  I order a fancy burger and pay the $18 bucks, sit at a table with my DW, cut the burger in half and give half to her.  Is someone going to come by and demand to charge my wife the $18 bucks as well? or half the $18 bucks?  Maybe I'll just sit down with it, turn my head, have her walk by and take the half and keep walking.  😎

I think Princess management is being very unfair to agents and onboard staff and customer service desk will be a moving side show...especially in the first weeks of implementation on each ship. People are calling Princess direct and their phone people are at a loss to explain it.

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by kathy49
added info

[caribill]

39 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

We share a pizza at Alfredos, so does that mean we are each charged a visit?

 

It is a cover charge.

 

If you go to a nightclub on land with a cover charge that includes two drinks, you pay the cover charge even if you do not order any drink.

[cruising.mark.uk]

2 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

 Just pay them a livable wage and raise the cost of our meals.

Isn't that basically what they are doing by focusing on packages (the service charge element of which cannot be reduced or avoided) and by charging for room service deliveries, app activation and casual dining?

[PacnGoNow]

9 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

So do we and I don't think we know the answer yet.  A couple of days ago, I wondered if anyone who has been to another casual dining location such as Salty Dog and ordered something to share has had to pay extra?  I guess it has to be one of them with the a la carte options as the first incarnations had a set cover charge of $18, IIRC.  Now, it seems the prix fixe is going to be $15.  Not sure if there is another good example we can go by prior to getting clarity from Princess.

Will be great to hear from those first cruisers on ships coming up.

 

I can’t imagine they would try to charge for 2 meals (or 2 visits) if you only eat 1 meal.  But, murky water again.

 

If they wanted to charge me for 2 visits, I’d have just one of us order and tell them just give me one to go.  
 

 

[cruising.mark.uk]

2 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

It is a cover charge.

 

 

No it's not, it is a prix fixe menu.

[villauk]

2 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

Coming soon.  Two weeks ago, they more or less implied around August 1, but I suspect it is a bit later.  Now includes Oz and UK, and IDK if they are doing all simultaneously, or opening with Canada first.  No specific date has been made public that I am aware of.

Later this year according to the email I received.

 

If you haven't already, we ask that you enter some info ahead of time so you can get on board faster. Residents of the United States and Puerto Rico can order their Medallion^® devices for at-home delivery up to 12 days before they cruise, which is now the only way to gain Green Lane status. And soon guests residing in Canada, the UK and Australia also will be eligible for Green Lane access. Pre-cruise Medallion shipment is expanding and will be available for residents in those countries later this year! For now you will pick up your Medallions at embarkation as usual.

[Steelers36]

24 minutes ago, ldtr said:

The fact that you can remove them is one of the clearest signs that the money does go to the members of the pool.

I am aware of this, but juxtapose this with PCL claiming/expecting 70-75% of guests are on one of the two fare packages.  By policy, anyone on Plus/Premier cannot deduct out the CA portion.  Therefore, considerably less than half the guests can elect this option.  (I am not complaining and fully support the CA system as it is, but would prefer it to be baked into the cruise fare as it is in OZ/NZ).

Edited July 30, 2023 by Steelers36

[antsp]

52 minutes ago, memoak said:

I made a reservation at my favorite local restaurant a month ago for a special occasion I have coming up next week. When I get to the restaurant and find that price of items has been increased should I throw a tantrum and insist on last months prices ?

Had you paid in advance and understood what you were buying 

[caribill]

On 7/27/2023 at 6:07 PM, tothemall&beyond said:

It's not on the website yet because the new fees/charges don't start till August 12th. Then it will be there for sure.

 

So people can still book future cruises and "know" these venues will be included free.....until they get on board and find they are not.

[kathy49]

1 minute ago, Steelers36 said:

I am aware of this, but juxtapose this with PCL claiming/expecting 70-75% of guests are on one of the two fare packages.  By policy, anyone on Plus/Premier cannot deduct out the CA portion.  Therefore, considerably less than half the guests can elect this option.  (I am not complaining and fully support the CA system as it is, but would prefer it to be baked into the cruise fare as it is in OZ/NZ.

I say "bake it" all into the cruise fare and end this maddness.

[kathy49]

Just now, caribill said:

 

So people can still book future cruises and "know" these venues will be included free.....until they get on board and find they are not.

I thought they began August 2nd?

[PacnGoNow]

2 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

It is a cover charge.

 

If you go to a nightclub on land with a cover charge that includes two drinks, you pay the cover charge even if you do not order any drink.

But, since it can be a la carte, that is more like a casual restaurant. 
 

Now as far as the visits, suppose only 1 person goes, on a plus package, to use their visit?   They can’t charge for 2.

 

 

[kywildcatfanone]

1 hour ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

Yes, you are.  In sum, what I am saying is that I sense - in commercial terms - that Princess prefers big spenders over those who spend less.  Whether that additional spend is generated by purchasing a suite rather than an inside, by buying a package, by purchasing an excursion at each port and / or by eating in a specialist pay restaurant every night of the cruise (or by gambling heavily in the casino) is, to a certain extent immaterial.  What they are focused on is the bottom line: how much revenue does this customer generate for us.  For them, that's a commercial not a moral judgment.  But, from what I read on here, it will put some of the most 'loyal' passengers at a disadvantage because their spend - based on their choices, their needs as 'mature' cruisers and their experiences over many years - will likely be less per diem than younger, less experienced cruisers.  So, Princess will be less inclined to give them loyalty benefits of real financial value than they might be to spend real money to encourage bigger spenders to return.

I agree 100%.  They really don't want me anymore.  We typically book inside cabins, don't frequent the casinos, and bring our own soda and water onboard( we don't drink sugary drinks anymore and they don't offer zero coke products.  We also don't do ship excursions and typically have enough obc to pay tips.  They now hose me on internet, but I need it unfortunately. 

 

They really do want me gone.  I'm okay with that.  They can get thousands of more dollars from someone else taking my spot.

Edited July 30, 2023 by kywildcatfanone

[Steelers36]

16 minutes ago, caribill said:

On the Island Princess (which does not have an Alfredos) recently they had a couple of times at lunch "Alfredos at Sabatini's" where they served free Alfredo menu pizzas. It was well attended.

 

I  wonder now if they will either:

a) start charging for this Pizza at lunch event    or

b) just discontinue having it.

 

10 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

Clearly I don't think that will continue.

Not sure what you meant by not continuing.  I can see them continuing the lunch, but the menu will have prices attached as on other ships and not continue to be free.  The only free pizza is going to be Slices on Lido deck.

[cruising.mark.uk]

1 minute ago, kywildcatfanone said:

 

They really do want me gone.  I'm okay with that.  They can get thousands of more dollars from someone else taking my spot.

I'm sure they don't want you gone.  All customers are good for them.  But, they probably now think you are slightly less good for them than some other customers.

[Steelers36]

9 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

People are calling Princess direct and their phone people are at a loss to explain it.

It takes a while for the memos to reach the Philippines due to PCL slow internet service.

[kathy49]

from the schedule

1. Ship	Voyage#	Date
   Sapphire Princess	H323	August 2, 2023
   Enchanted Princess	N327	August 12, 2023
   Royal Princess	1329N	August 12, 2023
   Regal Princess	G327N	August 12, 2023
   Discovery Princess	X335	August 13, 2023
   Caribbean Princess	B328	August 14, 2023
   Diamond Princess	M330	August 14, 2023
   Ruby Princess	R323	August 15, 2023
   Crown Princess	3320N	August 15, 2023
   Sky Princess	Y325	August 19, 2023
   Grand Princess	A329	August 19, 2023
   Majestic Princess	8327	August, 19, 2023
   Emerald Princess	E321N	August 21, 2023
   Island Princess	2315	August 25, 2023
   Coral Princess	6315	September 20, 2023   Looks like Sapphire is the test case. maybe it will be so confusing they will abandon the whole idea?

[Steelers36]

4 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

Looks like Sapphire is the test case. maybe it will be so confusing they will abandon the whole idea?

GL with that!  LOL.